The Famiglia Cristiana prize reaches the fourth edition. As always, the recognition is delivered within the 82nd Venice Film Festival, and to receive it is a legend as Ottavia Piccolo. “Family Christian represents the history of our country, it is part of our cultural fabric. I am very happy,” he said. This is the motivation: “Rado in the world of entertainment, children prodigy keep their promises. In the case of Ottavia Piccolo, however, it went like this. At 11 he was in the theater in Anna dei Miracoliat 14 Luchino Visconti wanted it to Leopard. Since then the actress has been able to span with ease between cinema, TV and theater, alternating light roles next to Divi like Adriano Celentano (Seraphin) and Alain Delon (Zorro) Author films (The family by Ettore Scola) and civil commitment (7 minutes by Michele Placido) “.
The career of Ottavia Piccolo began early: “My father was a marshal of the carabinieri, my mother a housewife. One day she accompanied me to the Quirino theater for an audition, and from that moment I didn’t stop anymore. My parents have always supported me, I am lucky. I went to school from the nuns of Sant’Anna, who were very happy for me. I was surrounded by incredible women, even if they did not share the choice of Burt Lancaster in The gotopardo To interpret the Prince of Salina. They claimed it was a cowboy (laughs, ed) “.
Very young (20 years), Piccolo wins the Prix of Interprétation Féminine at the Cannes Film Festival for Metello by Mauro Bolognini. “In the competition there were Loren and Vitti. They rewarded me for sure not to make them fight,” jokes. He worked with the best, like Alain Delon: “An exceptional professional has always been wonderful. We have never had a relationship. My son has blue eyes like my husband, the last scene of Zorro I was even pregnant. Delon also knew how to be witty. “Piccolo took part in The gotopardo of Visconti, but did not want to collaborate with Billy Wilder: “I regret that choice, the film was What happened between your father and my mother?. Wilder for the part wanted to make me fat in twenty kilos, and I refused. The positive element was that I would go to the United States, learning English. That I don’t know today ”.
Piccolo is a champion of the stage. “The theater is my real home, it is a place that makes you feel responsible. In the cinema everything is mediated, on stage instead it is alone. Now the artists must take a position. Ours is a job of heart and head, it cannot be pretended that everything is fine. We need memory, attention, civilization, especially in these difficult times. I am part of an association called Article 21, on freedom. For this we will go to the big demonstration. I share the boycott of colleagues who think differently, I refer to the case of Gerard Butler and Gal Gadot “.
And on the future: “I want to continue doing the things I like, until health supports me. I have always felt the need to grow, mature. And above all to be able to convey it”.
In the photo, from the left, the director of Famiglia Cristiana Don Stefano Stimamiglio, Ottavia Piccolo and Monsignor Davide Milani, president of the Foundation Authority of the show and director of the film magazine.